Way North Fishing Reports

Way North Chesapeake Fishing Report, April 18 Update:

It finally feels like spring as warm temperatures have given us some great fishing days this week. B-I-G catfish are on the prowl and biting, with readers checking in with monster blue cats from the North East and near Turkey Point enjoying success. No particular baits were specified, but cut bunker is a reliable standby. Anglers fishing near Port Deposit are also finding plenty of luck catching the big blues both from the bank and by boat. As the water temperatures rise, flathead catfish are also becoming more active. Your best chance for them in the upper Bay will be just below the Conowingo Dam. These fish are predatory and will prefer a moving bait. Soft plastic jigs are great options to cast out and work along the bottom. Just make sure to bring extra tackle because the bottom is very snaggy below the dam, but that’s where the big fish will be sitting.

The Susquehanna is still running a bit high and muddy which has made it hard for anglers to fish. We didn’t receive many reports for shad fishing in this region, but the fish should still be running there along with an increasing number of white perch. Deer Creek and Octoraro Creek are both great locations to target both of these fish. The flows are still steady, so working your way up creek may be a good idea until river conditions improve. Down near Havre De Grace, we saw a report from an angler who was out targeting crappie. They caught a bunch in five foot of water or less and kept four big ones for the frying pan. The fish that were kept all measured over 13 inches with the biggest measuring nearly 15 inches. Rising water temperatures are also getting crappie for their spawn and they are beginning to move into the shallows. Fishing with a live minnow on a small jighead either floated under a bobber or bounced along the bottom is a great way to catch crappie, and other fish too. Crappie prefer structure, so look for them around dock, bridge pilings, and submerged woody structure.

Way North Chesapeake Fishing Report, April 12 Update:

The lower Susquehanna is still running high and turbid from all the rain last week. River conditions were less than ideal most of the week, but persistent anglers managed to find some decent fishing. The shad are still running up the river and the small creeks and areas out of the main current are holding schools of fish. Deer Creek was noted as productive this week with one angler catching over a dozen shad during an outing. Octoraro Creek is another reliable location to fish for shad. Most of the catch has been hickory shad but American shad should soon show up and offer even more opportunities for anglers. Small shad darts and spoons are the two most productive lures. You can rig them in tandem or fish them as singles, but tandem rigs work great for getting baits down in the current where the shad are sitting.

The most reliable fish to target this month will be blue catfish which are abundant throughout the upper Bay. Channel catfish are also found in the tidal rivers and both fish can be caught using the same methods. Most anglers will drift cut bait in the form of bunker, gizzard shad, or eel along channel edges. The main channels leading into the bigger rivers are good places to drift or anchor in search of catfish. Now that the striped bass closure is in effect, we encourage you to fish for blue catfish, especially since they are an invasive species. We have seen that they are getting bigger every year and will eat anything that swims in front of them. The CCA Maryland Great Chesapeake Invasive Count kicked off at the beginning of the month it is a great initiative that local anglers can help out with to collect scientific data. All you have to do is register on the CCA website and you can catch invasive fish while competing for great prizes.

Way North Chesapeake Fishing Report, April 5 Update:

Anglers always look forward to April as it consists of many exciting spawning runs in the tributaries and it seems that the shad fishing run in northern rivers has caught up to the runs that started a couple of weeks ago in southern Bay tribs, and we had reader reports of solid hickory action picking up as of last weekend. One mentioned that some American shad had showed up as well, and casting green darts was the ticket to getting a bend in the rod. However, it is going to be a few days before the lower Susquehanna River will be fishable thanks to all the rain we got this past week. There will likely be a lot of debris in the water along with high and muddy conditions. Here's our how-to shad fishing video in case you need a spring refresher on shad fishing.

Catfishing may be the best option for a few days, and it will remain a reliable bite throughout the spring. Blue catfish seem to be getting bigger in each year and it is not uncommon to catch fish over 40 pounds. All the tidal rivers have an abundance of blue cats which can be caught by anchoring up on any of the major channel edges or deep holes. CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasive Count just started on April 1st and we encourage anglers to participate. The goal of this initiative is to help fisheries managers understand which invasive species are being caught and where. All you have to do is log your catches and you will be entered for a chance to win great prizes. Get more details on the Coastal Conservation Association website.

There were a few anglers who took advantage of the last weekend for catch and release striped bass fishing. There was a report from a boat that launched out of Havre De Grace on Sunday that caught two stripers. One fish measured 22 inches and another big one was caught that measured 44 inches. Stick baits got both bites. Catch and release fishing for striped bass closed on April 1st (no it isn’t an April fools’ joke) in all areas of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland waters. The no targeting closure will remain in effect until May 16th when some areas of the Bay will open for the summer season. The northern sections of the upper Bay will remain closed to targeting striped bass until June 1st. Make sure to check the striped bass regulation maps to see where and when fishing for stripers is allowed.